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Archived News:
Crackle.Com teases the launch of The Jace Hall
Show "in the coming weeks," a video podcast featuring game developer, film
producer, and The King of Teh Monstars Jason Hall joined by "celebs like
Christina Milian and Wilmer Valderamma" for a look at the world of video games.
They claim the first episode will feature "an exclusive trailer to the
long-anticipated Duke Nukem Forever game." That's the extent of the
details available at this time. Feel free to speculate wildly about this.
Trion World Network Announces First Game in Development has word that this
developer/publisher has unveiled their first project, a fantasy-themed MMORPG by
famed designer Jon Van Caneghem ( Might and Magic and Heroes of Might
and Magic). Details like a title and release date are not offered in the
press release, which does reference the sci-fi channel deal from the next story:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trion World Network, Inc. (Trion),
the publisher and developer of connected games and entertainment, has announced
their first title, a fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing
game. Jon Van Caneghem, Computer Gaming Hall of Fame member best known for
creating the long running RPG and strategy franchises Might and Magic and
Heroes, is the creative force behind the project currently being developed
internally at Trion’s Redwood City studio. The game represents the initial
first-party title on the Trion Platform, and will be published by Trion in both
North America and Europe.
Gamers will enter a seamless, persistent fantasy world, where they will
significantly affect the gameplay experience through dynamic events. Battles of
enormous scale will create epic moments that an unprecedented number of players
can participate in. All of this will be powered by Trion’s revolutionary
server-based architecture, which is uniquely designed to enable massive
scalability, dynamic content evolution, and cross platform development.
“This game is designed on the philosophy of putting players at the center of the
game world,” said Jon Van Caneghem, co-founder, President and Chief Creative
Officer, Trion. “By building an extensive event system and a server architecture
that allows for dynamic change, we are creating completely new opportunities for
creative game design. The game will live and change along with the players,
evolving in response to their actions and the creativity of our design team.”
Trion's first title, led by Jon Van Caneghem, is another step that underscores
Trion’s momentum in building a premium publisher and developer of server-based
games. Today Trion also announced a publishing agreement with Sony as well as a
major co-development deal with Sci-Fi Channel. With a world class team lead by
industry veterans, publishing agreements across platforms, new IP titles being
developed in the Trion studios, backing from financial and media giants,
proprietary groundbreaking technology and operations in key locations, Trion
World Network aims to define the future of interactive entertainment.
Sci Fi Channel is game to join the virtual world has word on the Sci-Fi
Channel's plans to partner with Trion World Network (the same developer as in
the story above) to create an MMOG that ties directly in with a television
series (thanks Mike Martinez and
Kotaku),
a plan they had originally hoped to implement with the Battlestar Galactica
series. No title is revealed for the project, which is targeted at a summer 2010
release, though it has been revealed gameplay would be set around 80-100 years
in the future, unsurprising since this will presumably carry a science-fiction
theme. Here's a bit: Lars Buttler, co-founder and chief executive of
Trion, said that the game will live entirely online and that vistas will open as
the television series takes the characters throughout their world. The game will
continue to grow, and "footage" of players in battles or other mass gatherings
will be incorporated into the series. The TV show will match the game in its
look, with a green-screen hyper reality, much like the film "300," Howe said.
Buttler's company is partnered with Hewlett Packard and has raised $30 million
from investors such as Time Warner and General Electric. He said the focus of
the company is to pounce on the concept that discs and downloads are being left
behind and that online games are the "clear future."
The virtual world that pulls in fans of the show will also give Buttler and his
team hard data about which characters, settings and story lines stir the most
interests. He said that will help the show's producers bend their story lines to
audience tastes -- a notion that might not sit well with some purists who think
a drama should be guided by decisions of art rather than market research.
Clearly, though, the very nature of television programming is in flux, and Howe
said fans have an appetite for a new level of participation and tailored
entertainments.
"This will be a state-of-the art game and it will be a strong television show,
and watching how those two things interact will be fascinating," he
said.
This press release reveals that Huxley has found a North American and
Western European publisher, with NHN USA
Inc. to bring the MMOFPS game westward via the
ijji portal by the end of this year.
The Living Legacy section on the
EverQuest/ EverQuest II Website outlines programs where inactive accounts
are being reinstated for both games to enable former subscribers to play once again
(thanks Laffman). Word is: "Inactive EverQuest subscribers and trial
accounts can play Secrets of Faydwer at no cost until July 25, 2008" and "Free
Rise of Kunark gameplay for inactive EQII subscribers and trial accounts at no
cost until July 31, 2008." Each offer includes a free bundle of in-game items
upon log-in.
GameTap announces an expansion of their
distribution deal with Interplay that will bring Fallout, Descent, and MDK to
the free-to-play area of their game portal: ATLANTA – June 2, 2008 –
GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), announced today an expanded partnership
with Interplay Entertainment Corp. (OTC BB: IPLY) that now includes multi-year
worldwide rights for the company’s titles to be available for digital download
in its online store and for subscription play. Under the new agreement,
Interplay titles will also be made available for free play on GameTap’s
ad-supported website www.gametap.com.
“Interplay has been and continues to be a great partner of GameTap,” said
Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content and creative director for GameTap.
“By expanding on our previous deal, GameTap will now feature more of Interplay’s
top titles including their widely successful Fallout titles.”
As part of this expansive agreement, GameTap will now feature additional
Interplay titles, including the critically acclaimed Fallout, Descent and MDK.
New and previously featured titles, such as the Earthworm Jim series, will be
added to the subscription service, GameTap’s ad-supported website, and also sold
in GameTap’s online digital retail storefront.
Another new Spore movie is now available, this time to show off the Tribal phase
in the upcoming evolutionary simulation from EA Maxis. The clip is narrated by
Lauren McHugh, who describes the two ways a tribe can flourish, either by
cooperation or conflict (refuting the musical point that "When two tribes go to
war, a point is all that you can score"). The clip is available on
the EA FTP server
and mirrored on
AtomicGamer and Gamer's
Hell.
The Prince of
Persia Q&A on Eurogamer discusses the upcoming return of the Prince of
Persia with Ben Mattes (thanks Mike Martinez), who describes the project as a return
to the roots of the series. As such the game will not carry a subtitle at all,
presumably putting to rest previous rumors ( story and
story), a move Mattes calls a "bold statement" that
differentiates the new game from the Sands of Time trilogy and the
upcoming Disney movie. The Q&A goes into this PoP having a greater emphasis on
exploration than the recent games, with the goal of reconnecting with what he
calls the "DNA" of the series, but clarifying that Sands of Time is part of that
double helix: You controlled a young, powerful, acrobatic hero who saved
the world in collaboration with a beautiful girl. There was a balanced mix of
combat, acrobatics, and puzzles, with a great story and great characters. That's
the brand DNA, that's what Prince of Persia is.
So as long as when you're doing acrobatics it has amazing flow, and when you're
fighting enemies it looks super-cool, and there's a great story about the hero
and the world and the supporting character... As long as we're truthful to all
of that, I think we can paint the walls whatever colour we want.
To people who aren't convinced by that, I would say this game is more true to
the magic of Sands of Time than either Warrior Within or The Two Thrones. And I
was the producer on Two Thrones. It was my intention to bring the trilogy back
in the direction of Sands of Time, which was just spectacular. For this game,
we're doing that even more.
So yes, it's bold. Yes, it's risky. But I'm pretty confident that when people
see all of these claims in action they're going to say, 'Okay, I get it, and
he's right.'
A new
Saints Row 2 German Product Section is online (thanks Gamer's Hell), which lists the
PC as one of the target platforms for the upcoming open-world action sequel. We
were not previously aware that a PC edition of the game, which was announced for
Xbox 360 and PS3, is in the works, but the PC is also listed on
the game's
English product section, and there are e-tailer listings for a PC SKU on
sites like
Amazon.com and
GameStop.com.
Lighthouse Interactive announces the release of a new patch for Sword of the
Stars: Born of Blood, updating the 4X space strategy expansion to version 1.5.2.
They say: "Update 1.5.2 allows current owners of Born of Blood to play on custom
maps created by others, and engage in multiplayer action with those who are
playing the recently released version included in Sword of the Stars:
Collector's Edition. The Update however does not contain many of the robust
features that are exclusive to the Collector's Edition, such as the ability to
share custom maps or create stand-alone servers." The download is mirrored on
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
Strategy Informer, and
The Patches
Scrolls.
Grey Dog Software now
offers a new playable demo for Total Extreme Wrestling 2008, offering the chance
to get a grip on what this sports simulation sequel is all about (thanks Gamer's Hell).
Word is: "Phoenix, AZ June 1, 2008 – Grey Dog Software, a Phoenix based
developer of sports management simulation software for personal computers, today
announces a limited-time Demo of Total Extreme Wrestling 2008. Beginning today,
players will be able to download and try out the entire game and be permitted to
continuously repeat one month of game time. A sequel to the critically acclaimed
TEW 2007, Total Extreme Wrestling 2008 is scheduled to be available for digital
download exclusively through Grey Dog Software beginning June 8, 2008."
The Trash
Forums offer a new patch for Trash, updating Inhuman Games' real-time
strategy game with a number of bug-fixes (thanks Gamer's Hell). Word is: "This patch
just has bug fixes. A side effect of this patch is that EVERYONE will need to
re-activate their serial key." There is also an updated version of the game
editor that addresses a couple of bugs.
The Eternal Silence Website now
offers downloads of the dedicated server files for beta 3.0 of this Half-Life 2
modification, paving the way for the upcoming release of the corresponding
client, which they expect to make available on Friday.
I stopped taking the antihistamines over the weekend (thankfully, as event the
mild ones have their side effects) and seem to be doing okay, event though
pollen counts remain high around here. I'm still not clear on whether this was a
bout with allergies or illness; the former seems more likely, except for the
fact that it has gone away. I guess as long as it stays away I won't sweat it too
much.
R.I.P.:
Fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71.
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